The fashion for dressing rooms.

A couple of decades ago, a man (usually) would have a dressing room in a country house. This was for practical reasons, so when he got up early in the morning to catch the train for work he wouldn’t disturb his wife who probably wouldn’t need to get up at that ungodly hour. Now, times have changed and his partner would like her own space to display her collection of Chanel handbags and extensive shoe collection. These are large rooms rather than cupboards and so desirable have they become that country house purchasers are quite willing to forsake a guest bedroom (or two) in order to get them.

No expense is spared when it comes to design. The best dressing rooms are highly functional, fully customised and made from beautiful wood, which can be fully glazed or panelled. Plenty of shelves and drawers for storage are a must. It is not unheard of to spend as much on a beautifully crafted dressing room as you would on the kitchen – and we all know how much a decent kitchen can cost. Not unlike the kitchen with its central island, the dressing room often has a large central piece of bespoke furniture on which the owner can show something off, such as a beautiful watch collection, for example.

One factor all dressing rooms must have in common is that they need to be convenient. Ideally they should link the master bedroom to the ensuite – there is no point having your dressing room at the other end of the house. Indeed, the dressing room is nothing if not practical: it may sound a luxury but it makes it much easier to get dressed in the morning and saves time.